Infection Prevention and Control Service

Vision

Healthcare-associated infections and the spread of harmful pathogens across the Canterbury Healthcare System are minimised through excellence in IPC practice. There is a deeply embedded culture among all Canterbury DHB (CDHB) staff whereby best practice to minimise infection risk to patients, staff and visitors to healthcare facilities is the accepted norm.

Purpose

The IPC Service delivers quality infection prevention and control services to minimise the occurrence and spread of infection across the Canterbury Healthcare System. It promotes excellence in IPC practice and strategically deploys its resources to improve safety for patients, staff and visitors to CDHB health care facilities.

Infection Prevention and Control Executive Committee

Oversight and governance for the IPC Service is provided by the Infection Prevention and Control Executive Committee (IPCEC). Membership includes a senior Infectious Disease Physician (Chairperson), a senior Clinical Microbiologist, a senior Public Health Physician, the Clinical Director – Infection Prevention and Control, the Nursing Director – Infection Prevention and Control, a senior Primary Care General Practitioner and a senior Primary Care Nursing Leader.

The role of the IPCEC is to set strategic priorities and guide action in the prevention and control of infection to improve and sustain quality of care across the Canterbury Health System and to keep patients, staff and visitors to health care facilities safe.

This team is led by the Clinical Director – Infection Prevention and Control and the Nursing Director – Infection Prevention and Control.

Clinical Nurse Specialists and Registered Nurses provide day-to-day advice on infection prevention and control measures to ensure the safety of patients, staff and visitors to CDHB facilities. They guide and support CDHB staff to implement appropriate IPC practices in their work area to minimise risk of infection transmission.